AWS Storage Options – Storage Gateway & Import/Export (Snow Family)

Provides a brief summary for the Ideal Use cases and Anti-Patterns for AWS Storage Gateway and AWS Snow Family (formerly Import/Export) storage options.

AWS Storage Gateway

• AWS Storage Gateway is a hybrid cloud storage service that provides on-premises access to virtually unlimited cloud storage.
• Storage Gateway provides a standard set of storage protocols such as iSCSI, SMB, and NFS, which allow you to use AWS storage without rewriting existing applications.
• It provides low-latency performance by maintaining frequently accessed data on-premises while securely storing all data encrypted in AWS.
• For disaster recovery scenarios, it can serve as a cloud-hosted solution, together with EC2, that mirrors the entire production environment.
• Storage Gateway can be deployed as a virtual machine (VM) within VMware, Hyper-V, or Linux KVM virtual environments, or as an Amazon EC2 instance within a VPC, or on a dedicated hardware appliance.
• Storage Gateway offers four gateway types:
  • Amazon S3 File Gateway
    • Presents Amazon S3 objects as files accessible via NFS or SMB protocols.
    • On-premises applications read and write files to the gateway, which stores them as objects in S3 buckets.
    • Maintains a local cache of recently accessed files for low-latency retrieval.
    • Supports S3 Standard, S3 Intelligent-Tiering, S3 Standard-IA, and S3 One Zone-IA storage classes.
  • Amazon FSx File Gateway
    • Provides low-latency, on-premises access to fully managed Windows file shares in Amazon FSx for Windows File Server.
    • ⚠️ No longer available to new customers as of October 28, 2024. Existing customers can continue using the service. AWS recommends connecting directly to Amazon FSx for Windows File Server as an alternative.
  • Volume Gateway
    • Presents cloud-backed iSCSI block storage volumes to on-premises applications.
    • Operates in two modes:
      • Cached volumes (formerly Gateway-cached volumes) – Primary data stored in S3, with frequently accessed data retained locally in a cache. Minimizes the need to scale on-premises storage while providing low-latency access to frequently accessed data.
      • Stored volumes (formerly Gateway-stored volumes) – Complete primary data stored locally, while asynchronously backing up data to AWS as EBS snapshots. Provides low-latency access to entire datasets with durable, off-site backups.
    • Cached volumes can be up to 32 TiB; stored volumes can be up to 16 TiB.
  • Tape Gateway
    • Presents a virtual tape library (VTL) interface to existing backup applications using iSCSI.
    • Virtual tapes are stored in S3, and archived tapes are stored in S3 Glacier or S3 Glacier Deep Archive.
    • Compatible with leading backup software (Veeam, Veritas NetBackup, Commvault, etc.).

Ideal Usage Patterns

• AWS Storage Gateway use cases include
  • Corporate file sharing and collaboration (S3 File Gateway)
  • Enabling on-premises backup applications to store primary backups in S3 (Volume Gateway, Tape Gateway)
  • Disaster recovery with cloud-backed storage
  • Data mirroring to cloud-based compute resources
  • Tiering on-premises data to cloud storage

Anti-Patterns

• Database storage
  • For Database backup or storage, EC2 instances using EBS volumes or managed database services (RDS, Aurora) are better choices.

Performance

• Performance depends on the speed and configuration of underlying local disks, network bandwidth between the iSCSI initiator and gateway VM, amount of local storage allocated to the gateway VM, and bandwidth between the gateway VM and AWS.
• For cached volumes, providing enough local cache storage for recently accessed data is important for low-latency read access.
• Storage Gateway efficiently uses Internet bandwidth by only uploading incremental changes (data that has changed), minimizing data sent over the Internet.
• AWS Direct Connect can be used to increase throughput and reduce network costs by establishing a dedicated network connection between the on-premises gateway and AWS.
• Storage Gateway supports bandwidth throttling to control the amount of network bandwidth used for data transfer.

Durability and Availability

• AWS Storage Gateway durably stores on-premises application data by uploading it to S3.
• S3 stores data across multiple facilities and on multiple devices within each facility, providing 99.999999999% (11 9s) durability.
• S3 performs regular, systematic data integrity checks and is built to be automatically self-healing.

Cost Model

• AWS Storage Gateway pricing components vary by gateway type:
  • S3 File Gateway: Storage (S3 pricing), requests, and data transfer
  • Volume Gateway: Volume storage usage (per GB per month), snapshot storage, and data transfer
  • Tape Gateway: Virtual tape storage, virtual tape shelf (archive) storage, and data retrieval
  • All types: No charge for the gateway software; charges apply for AWS storage used

Scalability and Elasticity

• Storage Gateway stores data in Amazon S3, which provides virtually unlimited scalability and elasticity.
• A single gateway supports up to 32 cached volumes (max 1,024 TiB total) or 32 stored volumes (max 512 TiB total).

Interfaces

• AWS Management Console, AWS CLI, and AWS SDKs can be used to manage Storage Gateway.
• Gateway VM images are available for VMware ESXi, Microsoft Hyper-V, and Linux KVM.
• Hardware appliance option is available for environments without virtualization infrastructure.
• Volumes are attached as iSCSI devices; file shares are accessible via NFS or SMB protocols.

AL2 to AL2023 Migration (2025-2026)

• AWS is transitioning Storage Gateway appliance OS from Amazon Linux 2 to AL2023.
• This migration enables new hybrid cloud storage features and maintains optimal performance and security.
• Gateway versions 1.x.x cannot be updated to 2.x.x — a new gateway deployment is required.

AWS Import/Export (Replaced by AWS Snow Family)

AWS Snow Family (Current Service)

• AWS Snow Family provides secure, rugged devices for edge computing and offline data transfer.
• AWS Snowball Edge is the primary device, available in two options:
  • Snowball Edge Storage Optimized (210 TB) — Primary device for large data transfers with high storage capacity and faster transfer speeds.
  • Snowball Edge Compute Optimized — For edge computing workloads requiring local processing power.
• Data encryption is performed on the device itself, enabling higher data throughput and shorter transfer times.
• Supports Amazon S3 compatible storage on the device for edge workloads.

AWS Data Transfer Terminal (New Alternative)

• AWS Data Transfer Terminal is a secure, physical location where customers bring their storage devices to transfer data using a high-throughput connection directly to AWS.
• Provides direct network connectivity to AWS services including Amazon S3, Amazon EFS, and others.
• Available in multiple locations globally (New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco Bay Area, Munich, and more being added).
• Customers reserve a date and time, visit the location, connect their storage devices, and transfer data.
• No device shipping required — eliminates wait times associated with Snowball device logistics.
• Ideal for customers who need frequent, high-volume physical data transfers.

Original AWS Import/Export (Historical Reference)

• AWS Import/Export (now fully replaced) accelerated moving large amounts of data into and out of AWS using portable storage devices for transport.
• AWS transferred data directly onto and off of storage devices using Amazon’s high-speed internal network, bypassing the Internet.
• Supported importing into EBS snapshots, S3 buckets, and Glacier vaults, and exporting data from S3.

Ideal Usage Patterns (Snow Family / Data Transfer Terminal)

• Ideal for transferring large amounts of data in and out of the AWS cloud, especially in cases where transferring the data over the Internet would be too slow (a week or more) or too costly.
• Common use cases include:
  • Initial data migration to AWS (large-scale lift-and-shift)
  • Content distribution or regular data interchange with customers/business associates
  • Transfer to Amazon S3 for off-site backup and archival storage
  • Edge computing in disconnected environments (Snowball Edge only)
  • Disaster recovery with rapid data retrieval

Anti-Patterns

• Data that is more easily transferred over the Internet in less than one week — use AWS DataSync or AWS Transfer Family instead.
• For new customers needing physical data transfer (post Nov 2025) — use AWS Data Transfer Terminal or AWS Partner solutions.

Performance

• Snowball Edge Storage Optimized 210TB devices provide up to 100 Gbps network connectivity.
• Data transfer rate is bounded by the read/write speed of the storage device and network connectivity.
• AWS Data Transfer Terminal provides high-throughput direct connections for fast transfers.

Durability and Availability

• Durability and availability characteristics of the target storage (S3, EBS, EFS) apply after data has been imported.
• Snowball Edge devices use 256-bit encryption and tamper-resistant enclosures for data security during transit.

Cost Model

• AWS Snowball Edge pricing includes: service fee per job, shipping costs, and per-day charges for device use beyond included days.
• Standard Amazon S3, EBS, and other storage pricing applies for the destination storage.
• AWS Data Transfer Terminal pricing is based on reservation time and data transferred.

Scalability and Elasticity

• Multiple Snowball Edge devices can be used in parallel for petabyte-scale transfers.
• Large Data Migration Manager available in the AWS Console for managing multi-device migration projects.
• For Amazon S3, individual objects may range up to 5 terabytes in size.
• Aggregate total amount of data that can be imported is virtually unlimited.

Interfaces

• AWS Snowball is managed through the AWS Management Console (OpsHub), AWS CLI, and SDKs.
• AWS OpsHub provides a graphical interface for managing Snow devices.
• AWS Data Transfer Terminal is managed through the AWS Management Console for reservations.

AWS Certification Exam Practice Questions

• Questions are collected from Internet and the answers are marked as per my knowledge and understanding (which might differ with yours).
• AWS services are updated everyday and both the answers and questions might be outdated soon, so research accordingly.
• AWS exam questions are not updated to keep up the pace with AWS updates, so even if the underlying feature has changed the question might not be updated
• Open to further feedback, discussion and correction.

1. You are working with a customer who has 10 TB of archival data that they want to migrate to Amazon Glacier. The customer has a 1-Mbps connection to the Internet. Which service or feature provides the fastest method of getting the data into Amazon Glacier?
   1. Amazon Glacier multipart upload
   2. AWS Storage Gateway
   3. VM Import/Export
   4. AWS Import/Export (Now: AWS Snowball)

   Note: This question uses legacy service names. AWS Import/Export has been replaced by AWS Snowball Edge. As of Nov 2025, Snowball Edge is only available to existing customers — new customers should use AWS Data Transfer Terminal.
2. A company needs to provide on-premises applications with low-latency access to frequently used data while storing the complete dataset in AWS for disaster recovery. Which Storage Gateway configuration is most appropriate?
   1. S3 File Gateway with local cache
   2. Volume Gateway in cached mode
   3. Volume Gateway in stored mode
   4. Tape Gateway

   Answer: C. Volume Gateway in stored mode keeps the complete primary data locally for low-latency access to the entire dataset, while asynchronously backing up data to AWS as EBS snapshots for disaster recovery.

3. A company wants to minimize on-premises storage costs while maintaining low-latency access to frequently accessed data. The full dataset is several hundred terabytes. Which Storage Gateway solution is most suitable?
   1. S3 File Gateway
   2. Volume Gateway in cached mode
   3. Volume Gateway in stored mode
   4. Tape Gateway

   Answer: B. Volume Gateway in cached mode stores primary data in S3 while retaining frequently accessed data locally in a cache, minimizing on-premises storage requirements.

4. A new customer needs to physically transfer 50 TB of data to AWS but cannot use AWS Snowball Edge (no longer available to new customers as of November 2025). What is the recommended alternative?
   1. AWS Snowcone
   2. AWS Snowmobile
   3. AWS Data Transfer Terminal
   4. AWS Import/Export with customer-owned devices

   Answer: C. AWS Data Transfer Terminal provides secure, physical locations where customers can bring their storage devices and transfer data using high-throughput connections to AWS. Snowcone and Snowmobile are discontinued, and Import/Export was replaced by Snowball in 2015.
5. Which AWS Storage Gateway type would you recommend for a company that wants to replace their physical tape backup infrastructure with cloud-based backup while keeping existing backup software?
   1. S3 File Gateway
   2. Volume Gateway
   3. Tape Gateway
   4. FSx File Gateway

   Answer: C. Tape Gateway presents a virtual tape library (VTL) interface compatible with existing backup applications, allowing companies to replace physical tape infrastructure while maintaining their current backup workflows.